System for managing multi-media content across multiple software applications

1. A method of managing multi-media content across a plurality of software applications running on users' computers, each user's computer having a memory and a computer display able to provide a graphical user interface adapted to display a software application in a foreground window when said software application is selected to run in the foreground of said interface, said user's computer being accessible to multiple streams of multi-media content and comprising a system manager, the method comprising: i) providing in the toolbar of each said software application a place holder adapted to provide a space within the software application's foreground window for the display of said multiple streams of multi-media content by said system manager, said place holder comprising means to output a blank bitmap having pre-defined characteristics comprising background color, width, height and location; ii) registering said place holder for each said software application with the system manager; iii) compiling said multiple streams of multi-media content; iv) directing one or more of said compiled multiple streams of multi-media content to be simultaneously displayed over said placeholder within the software application's foreground window when each said software application is running in the foreground of said interface; and v) providing separate control of the sound volume for each simultaneously displayed stream of multi-media content; wherein said place holder comprises a window control feature of a software application that contains instructions to register the software application with said system manager when the application is executed; and wherein said directing step comprises: i) the system manager maintaining a list of the software applications that are running and contain place holders; ii) the system manager comparing the Process ID of each registered software application to the Process ID of the software application that is running in the foreground; iii) when the system manager detects that a registered software application is running in the foreground, the system manager sends a message to the place holder in the software application that is running in the foreground indicating that the system manager is ready to display the multi-media content; iv) the place holder in the software application that is running in the foreground receives the message; v) the place holder in the software application that is running in the foreground sends a message to the system manager indicating the characteristics of the place holder; vi) the system manager receives the characteristics of the place holder and adjusts the size of the multi-media content; vii) the system manager displays the multi-media content in the space provided by the place holder.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said place holder is registered by initiating a registration protocol between the place holder and said system manager whereby said system manager is notified of any software application provided with a place holder which is running.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said registration protocol step comprises: i) during the execution of the software application the place holder checks to see if the system manager is running; ii) if the system manager is not already running in the background, the system manager is executed and runs in the background; iii) during the execution of the software application, the place holder sends a message to the system manager to indicate that the application is running; iv) the system manager responds with a message to the place holder to acknowledge receipt of the message; v) if the place holder does not receive acknowledgment from the system manager it continues to announce that it is running by sending a message indicating it is running.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said compiling step comprises: i) communicating with a source of multi-media content and receiving said streams of multi-media content into said computer's memory; ii) separating multi-media content into video or audio format; and iii) assembling each said stream of video multi-media content into a single image file comprising: a) video content; b) buttons and controls; and c) graphic features to form a media object.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said directing step comprises the further step of playing the related audio media in the background by means of a sound device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said directing step comprises the further steps of: viii) the system manager sends a message to the place holder in the software application that is running in the foreground for post-display actions; ix) the place holder in the software application that is running in the foreground receives the message for post-display actions; and x) the place holder in the software application that is running in the foreground performs the post-display actions.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said post-display action is adjusting the height of a toolbar to match the actual height of the place holder.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said multi-media content is selected from the group comprising video, audio and RSS content.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, wherein the program code, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 1 .

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, wherein the program code, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 3 .